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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Mimi’s Apple Cake…From Bainbridge to Ellijay and back to Kathleen

Every year about this time, Mimi and Granddaddy traipse up through Georgia’s mountains to find some of the Peach State’s greatest fruits–apples! Each autumn, the Peach State yields bushels and bushels of apples and my grandparents seem to always bring many of those bushels back to our now empty peach country. “Whatever will we do with all these apples? “ Mimi always inquires; yet her queries are always quelled once she gets to cooking and baking with the bounty from their mountain travels.

First comes Gingergold, Jonaold, and of course, Gala, with some of this Farmer’s favorites such as Pink Lady and Fuji rounding out the season. This first trip to the North Georgia Mountains brought us the former apple varieties and the apple baking season has commenced! Another trip to Highlands or even further in North Carolina will bring my grand people back with more apples and I know that we’ll be apple-rich for the season. We have already had pies, some applesauce and, with much fanfare and glee, Mimi’s Apple Cake.

Now Mimi’s Apple Pie is divine, case closed and court dismissed. BUT, Mimi’s Apple Cake just might take the cake for that matter as one of this Farmer’s favorite desserts of all time. One thing so enticing about this delicacy is that it is easy baking at its easiest, yet so elegant in presentation and palette. This cake will make you appear to be a baker’s baker even if this is your first cake. Plus, this recipe allows Mimi and me to open up one of our favorite cookbooks, her hometown of Bainbridge’s very own Recipes of the First United Methodist Church.

“What I love most about this cookbook is that I can read the recipes from women I’ve known and loved for all my life–this cookbook is as if I’m back in Bainbridge as a young girl eating from many of the tables graced by these recipes.” Mimi.

If you don’t have a small town, Southern church cookbook, then you are missing out. These genres of Southern literature are a post in and of themselves. Much of my culinary inspiration comes from these classics and I highly recommend you finding your favorites from your grandmother’s caches, mama’s library, or from antique malls and used book stores. Trust me, they are worth their weight in butter!

Mimi’s Apple Cake is so delicious and enjoyable for several reasons I feel. One, the toasted pecans in the cake and serving as garnish gives me that sweet and salty complement I crave. Secondly, the simplicity of the cake itself is so appealing. The ingredients are not complicated and are readily on hand. Furthermore, this cake is the gift that keeps giving, more so, a gift you can keep on giving; for you can easily make two, sharing one with friends and keeping one for your family. Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any holiday for that matter, this cake is a perfect gift or contribution to your supper club, dinner party, church dinner on the grounds, or host/hostess gift.

With fresh apples abounding from August to December, this cake is sure to be a hit this fall. From this Farmer’s Mimi and to your table, I hope this cake becomes the apple of your eye.

Mimi’s Apple Cake

3 Eggs2 cups of sugar (this can be cut down by a third cup if need be)1 ½ cup of vegetable oil1 teaspoon of baking soda1 pinch of salt3 cups of all purpose flour2 teaspoons of good vanilla3 cups, about 3 average size apples, of chopped raw apples1 cup of toasted and chopped pecans2 teaspoons of cinnamon

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, add the sugar and oil, and then add dry ingredients, apples, and nuts.

I visiting by way of Erika's blog - I'm sure many more will too...Your recipes look divine. I know we are past peach season, but seeing that peach tart makes my mouth water. I think I'm goning to have to find some because I can't possibly wait until next summer to make it! Great blog! Tessa

Thank you for this recipe. I made an apple cake a few weeks back and it did not turn out the way I had hoped. Initially, I thought it was the use of canola oil and no butter, but in my further research this is really common for apple cakes. I think it needed more spice. Anyhow, I am going to try your Mimi's apple cake. We went apple picking this past weekend and I came home with about 30 pounds of apples!

Just popped over from Erika's blog and what a surprise to find a Bainbridge connection! My mother is from Bainbridge and my husband and I have a farm south of town but live in Tallahassee. Love those old cookbooks-I have one from the old Bainbridge highschool.

I was blog surfing from one to the next and happened on yours ... I rarely venture out with a recipe from an unknown source, but with a craving for apple cake and no brown sugar, butter, buttermilk or everything every other recipe I could find required, I decided to try yours... and it was amazingly delicious! It's going in the family favorites so thank you for sharing!

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